Number #75
Powerade Taps La Liga Stars Yamal & Rodrygo for Global Mental Wellness Campaign
Featured Focus:
Health & Wellness, Partnerships for Good, Youth Development
Scope of Impact: Global
Just in time for Mental Health Awareness Month, Powerade is elevating its "Pause is Power" platform, signing young La Liga phenoms Lamine Yamal and Rodrygo to champion athlete mental wellness. Here’s the breakdown:
Evolving the Narrative: The campaign shifts from mental health education to celebrating pre-performance pause as a source of strength, challenging old stigmas and highlighting holistic preparation.
Next-Gen Stars: Tapping influential 17-yo Yamal (FC Barcelona) and 24-yo Rodrygo (Real Madrid) aims to connect with global soccer fans and younger demographics, positioning Powerade alongside the future of the sport.
Authentic Commitment: The partnership includes Powerade's "Athletes Code," allowing athletes to pause obligations for mental health without penalty, adding tangible support to the campaign's message and differentiating the brand.
First of all, kudos to Powerade for bringing arch-nemeses FC Barcelona and Real Madrid together in support of this campaign. This is no small feat! Secondly, we’ve seen a trend of sports partnerships tackling mental health conversations with a new generation of rising stars — and we love it!
With the reach of Barça and Real and the growing popularity of Yamal and Rodrygo, this campaign will undoubtedly have an international impact. If these two amazing players can prioritize taking a break for their mental health in order to be at peak performance when it matters the most, then everybody can.
We know that this issue is much bigger than sports, and Powerade gets it 100% right. By launching the “Athletes Code,” which allows sponsored athletes to prioritize mental health without financial repercussions, they’re walking the walk. The storytelling aspect is another nice touch that allows fans to instantly connect with their favorite players and fully take in the message. With this campaign, Powerade solidified its place as a progressive force in sports culture. Well done!
YOUR NEXT PLAY:
Allow us to go back to our walking the walk comment for just a sec. We have a hunch that Powerade has learned from past industry mistakes — Nike in particular, with its missteps around women’s sports, maternity leave, etc. — to ensure that their campaign wasn’t promoting something to the outside world that wasn’t true of its inside operations.
The brand’s official press release on the Yamal/Rodrygo campaign launch, extending their message around “Pause is Power.”
Details on Powerade's mental health support initiative, which reinforces their commitment to prioritizing athletes’ mental health on par with their physical health.
An in-depth analysis of the campaign’s marketing strategy and goals, positioning them as athlete advocates ahead of several FIFA events and the 2028 Olympics.
Stats and details on Rodrygo Goes’, the Brazilian-born phenom currently playing for Real Madrid.
Lamine Yamal’s official bio and stats from FC Barcelona, where he’s set multiple records and been honored with the 2024 Kopa Trophy for best U23 player at the Ballon d'Or gala in Paris.
The April 30 edition of our WIN | WIN Wednesday newsletter highlighted four stories of teams, athletes, and leagues supporting mental health initiatives in their communities.
